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679
Description: Arched rectangular shape; cavetto moulding all round; spreading oak tree, with leaves and acorns, filling the whole plate; three royal crowns, one at the top of the tree, the other two symmetrically on the ends of branches towards the top corners; initials CR towards the bottom corners, the remaining inscription on a scroll across the base.
Notes: The design is derived from the celebrated occasion when Charles II evaded his pursuers by hiding in an oak tree at Boscobel House, near Wolverhampton, following the final Royalist defeat at the battle of Worcester in 1651. This popular fireback has been copied frequently.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: C THE ROYALL OAK R
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with round arch (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- heraldic
- pictorial
- historical
- text
- plants
Manufactured: in the mid-17th century in England.
Current location: Saffron Walden Museum, Saffron Walden, Essex, England.
Museum number: 1899-2 (part of the Saffron Walden Museum museum group)
Citation: Butterfield, W. R., 19 Jan 1935, 'Charles II Fireback', Hastings and St Leonards Observer.
Citation: Butterfield, W. R., 1916, 'Old Wealden Firebacks', The Connoisseur, 46, pp. 197-209.
- Attached to series:
- Commemorative firebacks
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806
Description: Rectangle with curved shoulders and low arch joined with concave curves; fillet and ogee moulded edging; central Tudor royal shield surrounded by garter, with crown above and lion and dragon supporters; royal initials either side of crown; lower right, inclined rectangular stamp of a dog; extended variant.
Notes: On clearer examples the garter motto has ‘EQVI’ instead of ‘HONI’, making it meaningless; possibly ‘EQVI’ was a mis-transcription of ‘HONI’; the crown is distinctly continental in form; a much-copied fireback.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: E R [Garter motto illegible]
Arms: Tudor royal - Elizabeth I
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with round arch (shape)
- fillet and ogee (edging)
- carved stamps
- individual letters
- armorial
- royal
- text
- animals
Manufactured: in the mid- to late-16th century possibly in the Forest of Dean area of England.
Current location: in private hands, Salfords, Surrey, England.
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1099
Description: Rectangular shape; ovolo-moulded edging; raised central rectangular panel with inset stylised design of a rounded arch upon Ionic columns, the inside edge indented; at quarter angles outside the arch, two trefoils; within the arch, sequence of linked hollow strapwork rhomboids and circles; between the columns, a roundel with the internal edge indented; left of the central panel, 16 above upper-case M in low relief; right of the central panel, 56 above upper-case G in low relief.
Notes: An unusually small but well-preserved back with a stylised design. The style of the numerals, particularly the 6 and 5, can be seen on a larger fireback of 1653.
Inscription: 16 56 / M G
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- ovolo (edging)
- carved stamps
- whole carved pattern
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- architectural
- text
Manufactured: in 1656 in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Avery Way, Tamar View Industrial Estate, Saltash, Cornwall, England.
- Attached to series:
- Date & initials firebacks
- 1650s Wealden series
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1031
Description: Rectangular; astragal and fillet edging; two heater-shaped shields side by side, with a stag trippant crest above centre.
Notes: The dexter shield: quarterly first and fourth - Mostyn baronet - Gules a saracen's head erased proper wreathed about the temples sable and argent; second and third, within a bordure a fess fusily (or three lozenges in fess); a baronet's inescutcheon in the centre chief. The sinister shield - Sale - Argent on a bend cotised three gryphons' heads erased. Crest (Mostyn), a stag trippant proper.
Arms: Left: Mostyn with unknown quartering; right: Sal, Sale, Salle or Salley
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- astragal & fillet (edging)
- carved stamps
- heraldic
- armorial
- animals
- humans
Manufactured: in the 19th century in England.
Current location: in private hands, Saxtead, Suffolk, England.
- Attached to series:
- Personal armorial firebacks
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1200
Description: Arched rectangular plain shape with the sides of the arch concave, and with a diamond-shaped protrusion on each side; astragal edged sides terminating at the shoulders of the platre with a triangle on each side; top centre, initials in triad.
Notes: As small and unusual fireback of which only the upper part is visible, the lower part concealed behind a metal plate.
Inscription: IWM [triad]
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with round arch (shape)
- astragal (edging)
- individual letters
- text
Manufactured: in the 17th century possibly in the Weald area of England.
Current location: in private hands, Scaynes Hill, West Sussex, England.
- Attached to series:
- Initials only firebacks
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1081
Description: Arch-shaped, the arch consisting of eight, straight, ovolo-moulded sections; longer ovolo-moulded pieces form the lower sides of the fireback; in the centre a circular garter enclosing the Tudor arms of England; above, a crown; the date was carved on a single stamp and placed below left of the crown.
Notes: From other examples it is apparent that the crown is formed from a separate stamp to the shield and garter. Formerly at the Anchor Inn, Hartfield, Sussex; later at the Carnegie Science Center, Pittsburgh, PA, it was deaccessioned in 2003 from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh and sold at auction by Skinner, Inc. of Marlborough, MA. Cropped illustration from Schubert 1950.
Inscription: 1589 / HONI SOIT qVI MAL I PANSE
Arms: Tudor royal
- Decoration tags:
- carved stamps
- date stamp
- heraldic
- armorial
- royal
- text
Manufactured: in 1589 in the Weald area of England.
Current location:, not known.
- Attached to series:
- 1589 series
- Tudor royal armorial firebacks
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368
Description: Canted rectangle; twisted rope edging (top and sides); Tudor royal shield within a Garter, supported by lion and dragon stamps, a crown above, between separate ‘E’ and ‘R’ stamps; fleur de lys stamp irregularly repeated four times below right and to left of lion.
Notes: The shield, garter and crown stamps appear on many firebacks, usually with left-facing lion and greyhound supporters; the presence of the shield and crown indicate the fireback is derived from the same source; the supporter stamps, which are over-pressed, are clearly derived from blocks intended to represent standing models. Formerly at Kirby Frith Hall, Leicestershire. Illustration from Schubert, 1957, pl. 7.
Inscription: HONE SOYT qVEY MAL Y PENSE
Arms: Tudor royal - Edward VI or Elizabeth I
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with canted top corners (shape)
- rope (edging)
- carved stamps
- individual letters
- heraldic
- armorial
- royal
- text
Manufactured: in the mid- to late-16th century possibly at Pounsley Furnace, Framfield in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Newarke Houses, Leicester, Leicestershire, England.
Museum number: H.101.1930.0 (part of the Leicester City Museums museum group)
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1098
Description: Rectangular shape; indeterminate moulded edging; central initials (A? D M)in triad, between split date (6 reversed).
Notes: The characters have been derived from an odd assortment: the numbers appear to be a recognisable character set, with the 6 and 9 interchangeable, although 6 has been inadvertently reversed; the 6/9 has also been used, with the same stamp as has been used to form the uprights of the M, to construct a probable capital A (or R); the nature of the stamps forming the M is unclear. Noted in 1939 at Palfrey Farm, near Petworth, West Sussex, which from the mid-16th century had been home to the Penycod family, suggesting that the fireback had not been original to the house.
Inscription: 16 / A[?] D M [triad] / 49
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- indeterminate moulded (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved stamps
- text
Manufactured: in 1649 possibly at Frith Furnace, Northchapel in the Weald area of England.
Current location: not known.
Citation: Smail, H. C. P., Apr 1939, 'Iron Firebacks' [letter], Sussex County Magazine, 13, 4, p. 284.
- Attached to series:
- Date & initials firebacks
- Petworth lettering series
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1287
Description: Rectangular shape; ovolo-moulded edging; top centre, date between split initials.
Notes: The letters and numerals are particularly well formed. The fireback is displayed out of doors against a wall at the side of the street and the lower part is recessed into the pavement.
Inscription: R 1755 I
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- ovolo (edging)
- carved stamps
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- text
Manufactured: in 1755 possibly in the Weald area of England.
Current location: 15-17 High Street, Seaford, East Sussex, England.
- Attached to series:
- Date & initials firebacks
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683
Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); top left and right, Tudor rose surmounted by a crown (separate stamps); right of centre, irregular pentagram formed of a repeated length of twisted rope enclosing a Tudor rose; on either side of top point of pentagram, a triple-loop stamp irregularly spaced.
Notes: The pentagram has both Christian and occult symbolism. The fleur and the rose and crown have been seen on another fireback.
Copies of this fireback are known.
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved stamps
- heraldic
- apotropaic
- objects
Manufactured: in the late-16th century possibly in the Weald area of England.
Current location: in private hands, Sevenoaks, Kent, England.
- Attached to series:
- Rope design firebacks
- Looped fleur series